Nothing short of magical. It was transformative for me.
Past Events
-
PEACOCK THEATRE, SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE
The Love Witch
USA | 2016 | 120 minutes | Dir: Anna Biller | Unclassified, no under 16s unless with an adult | AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Elaine (Sarah Robinson) enchants men with her charms, consuming them by the net full. Yet this narcissistic witch reverses the traditional roles of the sexes. A feminist message in a fantastic 1960s setting.
With impressive attention to detail in set, costumes and music (including pieces by Ennio Morricone), Biller creates a decadent retro aesthetic. The Love Witch was shot on 35mm, with saturated colour used in a way that recalls Technicolor.
The filmmaker’s love of genre cinema is evident in every frame of this exuberant and decadent experience.
Anna Biller will be available for a Q&A via Skype after this screening. This film is preceded by the short film Innsmouth.
10 PM, FRIDAY, 15 APRIL
PEACOCK THEATRE, SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE
TICKETS $18/$16 OR WITH FEST PASS
BUY SINGLE TICKET(S)
Concessions: ADG/MEAA/AWG/TaFA members, Healthcare Card, Seniors Card, under 16s
-
PEACOCK THEATRE, SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE
THE INVITATION
USA | 2015 | 99 minutes | Dir: Karyn Kusama | Unclassified, no under 16s unless with an adult | TASMANIAN PREMIERE
Will and Eden lost their son years ago. The tragedy affected their relationship irreversibly, to the point that she disappeared overnight. One day, Eden returns to the city; she’s married again and something in her seems to have changed, turning her into a disturbing presence, now unrecognisable even to Will.
Karyn Kusama is the acclaimed director of Girlfight, Aeon Flux and Jennifer’s Body. The Invitation won the Jury Award at the Sitges International Film Festival in 2015.
“The shivers arrive early and often in The Invitation, a teasingly effective thriller that builds a remarkable level of tension…”—Variety
This film is preceded by the short film The Things We Take, Grand Prize Winner of the Tasploitation Challenge 2016. The filmmakers will be in attendance for a Q&A.
8 PM, FRIDAY, 15 APRIL
PEACOCK THEATRE, SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE
TICKETS $18/$16 OR WITH FEST PASS
BUY SINGLE TICKET(S)
Concessions: ADG/MEAA/AWG/TaFA members, Healthcare Card, Seniors Card, under 16s
-
PEACOCK THEATRE, SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE
Shorts program + Opening party
125 minutes | Unclassified, no under 16s unless with an adult
Stranger With My Face is all about bringing genre talent to new audiences. With this in mind, this year we’re opening the festival with the shorts program. These films will challenge, frighten and intrigue, with something for all tastes—from animation to art house, from social realism to fantasy, from dark sci-fi to horror comedy.
Nasty, directed by Prano Bailey-Bond (UK)
Blame, directed by Kellee Terrell (USA)
Can You See Them? directed by Polly Staniford and Mike Staniford (Australia)
The Betrayal directed by Susan Young (UK)
ReStart directed by Olga Osorio (Spain)
The Goblin Baby directed by Shoshana Rosenbuam (USA)
Measure directed by Shelagh Rowan-Legg (Canada/UK)
Abaddon directed by Samantha Ferguson (Australia)
Vintage Blood directed by Abigail Blackmore (UK)This screening will be preceded by some short speeches to open the festival.
Filmmakers Shoshana Rosenbaum and Samantha Ferguson will be present for a post-screening Q&A.
Live music! Lucky door prizes! Red carpet photos!
Ticketholders are entitled to one free drink (sparkling wine or beer) at the after party which will be held in the Festival Club.
8 PM, THURSDAY, 14 APRIL
PEACOCK THEATRE, SALAMANCA ARTS CENTRE
TICKETS $22/$18 OR WITH FEST PASS
BUY SINGLE TICKET(S)
Concessions: ADG/MEAA/AWG/TaFA members, Healthcare Card, Seniors Card, under 16s
-
Anywhere
Now open for registrations, the Tasmanian Gothic Short Script Challenge is open to anyone in the world who can set aside some time to write a short horror script from 4-6 March 2016. Surprise yourself! Find out more here.
-
The third 48-Hour Tasploitation Challenge will take place in Hobart from 22-24 January 2016, presented by Stranger With My Face International Film Festival. Registration for participating teams is already closed, with nearly 30 teams racing to complete a short genre film in time for the final screening on Monday January 25th!
The Screening and Awards Night on 25 January will be the debut of all films made, in front of a crowd including the filmmaking teams and the general public.
This hugely popular event is a fun time for film fans and genre geeks from all walks of life (as long as they’re over the age of 18).
Enjoy a range of weird, wild and wicked films, the like of which you’ve never seen as you discover for yourself the true meaning of Tasploitation!
TIME: 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 pm for red carpet drinks)
DATE: 25 January, 2016
VENUE: City Hall, Hobart
DRESS: Tasploitation glamour!
DRINKS: Available at bar prices, no BYO.
The 48 Hour Tasploitation Challenge is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Screen Tasmania.
-
Grand Poobah
Registered for the Tasploitation Challenge but want to find more cast and/or crew?
Not registered yet and need to find collaborators?
Just want to come and hang out with kooky and crazy filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers?
Join us at the Grand Poobah in Liverpool Street from 6-8pm to meet some potential cast or crew members, to brainstorm ideas, or to find out more about the contest and get practical tips for getting through the most challenging and fun weekend a budding filmmaker could hope for!
Booking is not required but please RSVP by emailing [email protected]
m or join the Facebook event page HERE. Post in the Tasploitation Challengers Facebook group here if you have questions or announcements prior to this event:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/474276485943543/ Or here in the Tasmanian Filmmakers Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tasmanianfilmmakers/ And once you’re ready to register as a filmmaker or filmmaking team, head over to the REGISTRATION PAGE.
-
Pop-Up Theatre No. 5, Macquarie Point
Loud Mouth Theatre Company‘s Dark Nights
and
Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival presentsTalk and Clip Show with Kier-La Janisse
SATANIC PANIC: POP-CULTURAL PARANOIA IN THE 1980sIn the 1980s, everywhere you turned there were warnings about a widespread evil conspiracy to indoctrinate the vulnerable through the media they consumed. This percolating cultural hysteria, now known as the “Satanic Panic,” was both illuminated and propagated through almost every pop culture pathway in the 1980s, from heavy metal music to Dungeons & Dragons role playing games, Christian comics, direct-to-VHS scare films, pulp paperbacks, Saturday morning cartoons and TV talk shows.
Relive the era with the book’s co-editor Kier-La Janisse, who will present a talk and clip show based on Spectacular Optical’s new book Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s. The event also doubles as the Hobart launch of the book and a limited number of copies will be available to purchase.
Date: 1 December 2025
Time: 8 pm – 9.30 pm (doors open at 7.30 pm)
Tickets: $10, BOOK ONLINE or at the door
Venue: Pop-Up Theatre No. 5, Macquarie Point
-
Founders Room, Salamanca Arts Centre
KEPT
Japan | 2014 | 71 min | DIR: Maki Mizui | Unclassified, under 18s not admitted.
One summer night, teenager Mayuka is abducted on her way home from work, but manages to forge a temporary personal bond with her attacker…From first-time writer / director Maki Mizui (best known as an actor, in such films as Tokyo Gore Police) comes this dark and original drama.
Based on the filmmaker’s own experiences as a crime victim, and inspired by a real-life series of abductions that happened in Saitama Prefecture outside Tokyo.Maki Mizui will be available for a post-screening Skype Q&A.
Sunday 24 August at 3.00 pmFounders Room, Salamanca Arts Centre$10 (or book with VIP pass) -
Founders Room, Salamanca Arts Centre
SHORTS PROGRAM 1 – AUSTRALIAN SHORTS
The Kingdom of Doug
Australia | 2013 | 15 min | DIR: Victoria Thaine
Josie and her fellow cult members have gathered in an ice skating rink to mass suicide. But when Josie loses faith in Doug, her charismatic cult leader, she starts questioning their choice to die.
Victoria is well known in the Australian industry as an actor in films like The Caterpillar Wish and The Loved Ones and television shows such as Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries, Dr Blake Mysteries, Rush, Rake and Wilfred. The Kingdom of Doug is her directorial debut. It won Best Director at Flickerfest and St Kilda Film Festivals in 2014.
For more information visit the DIRECTOR’S WEBSITE
Little Lamb
Australia | 2014 | 22 min | DIR: Heidi Douglas | World premiere
A young convict woman desperate for freedom rashly chooses a new master, but alone on his isolated farm her hopes for a new life are undermined by the grim truths she discovers. Stars Georgia Lucy, James Grim and Jude Kuring and was shot in Southern Tasmania.
This film is a Director’s Cut of a film produced with the assistance of Screen Australia and Wide Angle Tasmania through the Raw Nerve Initiative 2012. The script for Little Lamb won Best Script in the Stranger With My Face 10 By 10 Script Challenge in 2012.
Heidi Douglas will be present for the post-screening Q&A.
For more information visit the OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Maid of Horror
Australia | 2013 | 17 min | DIR: Caitlin Koller
This is the blood-soaked story of Emma, an overlooked Maid of Honor, who would kill to get her fairytale ending…
Caitlin Koller will be present for the post-screening Q&A.For more information visit the filmmaker’s FACEBOOK PAGE
Swallow
Australia | 2013 | 10 min | DIR: Mia’Kate Russell
What happens when a gay priest dates a werewolf and the homophobic neighbours come knocking?
Mia’Kate Russell will be present for the post-screening Q&A.
For more information visit the OFFICIAL WEBSITE
8 pm, 23 AugustFounders Room,
Salamanca Arts Centre$10 (or book with VIP pass)SHORTS PROGRAM 2 – INTERNATIONAL SHORTSSHORTS PROGRAM 2 – INTERNATIONAL SHORTS
El Matador
Canada | 2013 | 3 min | DIR: Gigi Saul Guerrero
A sadistic killer who goes by the name ‘El Matador’, torments his victims in a bull like fashion.El Matador was an official selection for ABCs of Death 1.5 and won Best Production Design at Hollywood Horrorfest.
For more information visit the Luchagore Productions OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Grace Under Pressure
UK | 2014 | 10 min | DIR: Jen Moss | World premiere
When Grace (Olivia Hallinan) gets invited to a reunion she can’t get out of, she turns to her friend Laila (Sophie Wu) for guidance. Laila has much more than supportive words and a shoulder to cry on for her wayward friend.Jen Moss has made numerous shorts than have been well received on the festival circuit. She won Best Director at the Viscera Film Festival in LA for My Brothers Keeper: Or How Not To Survive The Apocalypse.
For more information visit the filmmaker’s FACEBOOK PAGE
Hide and Seek
Japan | 2013 | 11 min | DIR: Kayoko Asakura
A schoolgirl goes to her Koto lesson. Soon she realises that there’s something very odd going on in her teacher’s house.Kayoko Asakura has directed number of short films and TV dramas including Furoagari-no-Onna / Don’t Peep (2010) which was a “viral-video” for Kyofu (2010) directed by Hiroshi Takahashi of The Ring. She wrote and directed her feature film debut It’s a Beautiful Day in 2013, which screened at the Stranger With My Face Sidebar at Monster Fest in Melbourne last year.
2 pm, 23 AugustFounders Room,
Salamanca Arts Centre$10 (or book with VIP pass)
BOOK TICKETSBUY FEST PASS